Dave: Farmer Saves Livelihood with Legal Help

A farmer in North Carolina didn’t know how his family would survive, after a tropical storm devastated his farm. LSC-funded legal aid helped him overturn a denied FEMA application and save his family’s livelihood.

A farmer in North Carolina didn’t know how his family would survive, after a tropical storm devastated his farm. LSC-funded legal aid helped him overturn a denied FEMA application and save his family’s livelihood.
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Older man with concerned look

Meet Dave

After Tropical Storm Helene devastated his farm, farmer Dave Roland lost his fall crop, his roadside stand, and most of his essential farming tools and equipment. The farm was his family’s sole source of income, and he didn’t know how they would survive. Dave attended a pop-up Disaster Relief Center. There, he met a legal aid attorney who helped him prepare an affidavit on the spot. Dave left with the paperwork he needed to get his farm back to working order, with a renewed sense of hope, and with an eagerness to share what he had learned with others.

So far in 2025, disasters have caused $182.7 billion in damages.

Civil legal challenges can haunt disaster survivors for years as they face complex bureaucratic systems while struggling to rebuild their lives. LSC-funded legal aid support low-income business owners with disaster preparedness and legal expertise during recovery.

Learn About North Carolina

Learn about the civil legal needs impacting the state of North Carolina. 

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Learn About Legal Aid of North Carolina

Learn about LSC grantee, Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC).